Charamba 'threatens' Daily News advertisers

HARARE - In a shocking development, it has emerged that hawkish permanent secretary for the Information ministry, George Charamba, is apparently calling Daily News advertisers and threatening them not to do business with the country’s top daily newspaper.

The Daily News, which only came back to the market five years ago after nearly eight years of forced closure by President Robert Mugabe’s government — in which Charamba played a prominent role — has since its relaunch been reporting accurately and consistently on the ruling Zanu PF’s brutal infighting, which is impacting negatively on the country as a whole.

As a result of the newspaper rightly playing its watchdog role, it has faced sustained pressure from some Zanu PF officials, including being slapped with vexatious lawsuits, and often being banned from circulating in certain areas and covering some State functions.

Charamba himself has not only used his position as Information permanent secretary to publicly threaten the country’s independent media, he has also abused his State media column in which he uses the pen name Nathaniel Manheru to churn out malicious lies and hate speech targeted at the Daily News.

A number of advertisers confirmed yesterday that they had since last year been receiving “not-so-friendly calls” from Charamba, accusing them of “the sin of giving business” to the Daily News, which he claimed was portraying Zanu PF in negative light.

“We are not keen to be at the centre of this issue, as we do not want to fight with Zanu PF and the government.

“But it is true that we have received not-so-friendly calls to the effect that we should stop supporting the Daily News,” a representative for one of the companies which have been threatened said.

Efforts to get comment from Charamba yesterday, who routinely refuses to speak to the Daily News, were unsuccessful — as he did not answer his mobile phone, even though it was ringing.

Group Editor for the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of the Daily News — Stanley Gama — said if the claims were true, “and at the moment we have no reason to believe that our advertisers would make such grave allegations in vain”, it would be “a shocking and profoundly sad development”.

“We are talking here of the top civil servant in charge of the government ministry responsible for the sector in which we operate, including the licensing of our business and the registration of our journalists.

“If it is true that this is what he is doing, it is shocking beyond words, perhaps only comparable to the heinous bombings of our printing press in 2001 and the unjust closure by the government of our company two years later.

“And obviously, anyone who is guilty of what is being alleged clearly wants to cripple and silence us once again, by starving our company of advertising revenue.

“This is contemptible thuggery which ought to be condemned by all right-thinking Zimbabweans, including senior government leaders,” Gama said.

The belligerent Charamba — who stands accused by senior Zanu PF officials and the women’s league of manipulating State media and playing destructive factional games within the ruling party in support of embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa — has lately been in the news for the wrong reasons, fighting with Cabinet ministers.

When the Daily News started reporting on the rampant factionalism devouring Zanu PF, the newspaper was attacked left, right and centre by the likes of Charamba, amid claims that its reports were a figment of the paper’s imagination.

These crass denials have since been laid bare for the pathetic lies that they are, with Charamba himself recently at the centre of a Zanu PF storm after he savaged senior party officials opposed to Mnangagwa in a controversial interview with ZiFM Stereo.

The pressure being brought to bear on the Daily News has invoked memories of the bombing of the newspaper by suspected State security agents in January 2001.

The popular daily was subsequently forced to close in September 2003, and only came back in late March 2011.

Comments (27)

I thought it was you new Hero, Jonathan Moyo who crafted the closure of Daily news. Correct me if I am wrong.

JSC - 11 February 2016

Daily news on the ropes Kwakest!!!!!!

Nesu - 11 February 2016

This Charamba is also positioning himself to be the President and First Secretary of Zanu PF , he is full of sheet , but now the time is over , you can see his evilness through his Nathaniel Manheru's article. He is no good to democracy , I think he is Mugabe's son , he must go for DNA test and tell the puplic. How on earth can someone of his stature do that , that is economic sabotage , ANZ ie the employer of Zimbabweans so why should he do that , lying to the word that sanctions imposed on us while the are imposing sanctions themselves . He is as evil as Mugabe . Jonso knows everything so this Charamba should just resign from puplic office and join Zanu PF fulltime .ICHO

I thought so as well that jonathan was you nemesis and the architect of AIPPA. Now its Charamba its strange how things change, typical animal farm propaganda today two legs bad four legs good and tomorrow four good two legs better.

tichawona - 11 February 2016

In typical ZANU PF style as soon as the truth is uttered and a person or paper gains popularity, just like big bullies which they are, they either want to kill it or close it. They loathe any real criticism of any kind but especially when it begins to attract an audience? In a similar fashion if European leaders say or do something that displeases them they retaliate by evicting another white farmer? Never will they possess the courage to look in the mirror and realize that they themselves are the problem causing them to be so loathed, hated and unpopular? One African leader I must now compliment is the President of Tanzania, Mr John Magafuli, one of the very few who possesses the courage and presence of mind to vigorously challenge and tackle the main problem confronting his country: corruption. This great leading, instead of blaming former white colonials for all his country's woes is confronting the real enemy: corruption in Government. This man deserves huge praise and recognition for his outstanding courage. I wish his example would rub off on Robert Mugabe?

White Colonial Boy - 11 February 2016

Whiteboy ,im glad yu stil hv interest in yo country.yu are Zimbabwe.Magufuli comes from the same party chama chamapinduzi of Nyerere.in these parties are men wth diverc motives,good n bad.in zanu a leader like Magufuli can emerge.Africa needs to change its ways of gorvenence and beter its people .gone are the days of rhetoric ,now its action based on good motives n deeds.so yes me as an old lady of zanu,I totaly agree wth you.tell yo white uncles to participate mo in their country s affairs.yu can even revive the RF.its yo right as long as yu get enuf voters.feel free to exersise yo right.this I got to know more,about rights,when I spoke to bob marley in 1980.I was looking after the 3 ladies I Threes,n his 2boys,David n Steven Marley.Bob lectured me on human rights,that time,in Arcadia.so dnt let a yone deny yu yo desire,yo right.we have no choices on what coloure we inherit.

viola gwena - 11 February 2016

Cmon sister vee ,yu saw Bob Marley?kkkkkk.this lady.

gire - 11 February 2016

Yes Gire,I sat face to face wth him,he ws a mavelouse person,culd be very quiete n very talkative.I stll communicate wth Rita his widow,to this day.cde Tekere gave me that task to take care of his wife n kids.A coloured man he was,Bob.smetimes I dream of him.He tried to get me to smock pot,bt I was so shy,even tho I culd,I had actualy,in the bush.He had promised to send me a ticket to visit Jamaica,bt he died too soon.he ws actualy chaffing me ,telling me his jumbo jet is parked at airpot for us to just fly away.he was so chamming.bt he was married to Rita.I asked him how many kids he had n he said I shuld ask Rita,that put me off.sory children.ndangariro.by the way I went to airport to see them off n forsure there was a big aeroplane waiting just for him n his crew.I waved good bie n he pointed at me wth a smile,it was thelast time I saw this great man.now I see him on dvds n pictures.my bob.

viola gwena - 11 February 2016

This Charamba guy is proving to be a very foolish and dangerous zealot of the regime. He is mired everywhere where there is nonsense. Asazi, but he won't win. Nomakanjani!

Khumalo - 11 February 2016

Thats normal, from a zanu pf figure under siege, to want to be seen doing something to gain mileage, and that something has to be counter productive or an attack torwards media houses. Its pathetic!

X-MAN IV - 11 February 2016

Yes ?Bob Marley?how in Arcadia.?wasnt he in Meikles.

blaz - 11 February 2016

Charamba should not behave as if there is no tomorrow.He will be the first to seek coverage from the very daily that he is harassing and seeking its demise.The situation prevailing in Zanu pf is undoubtedly pointing towards his unceremonial exit from the corridors of power soon or later.So he should watch out as a Senior Bureaucrat and never to step on toes of those who would be helpful to him when things turn upside down.

vivian v siziba - 11 February 2016

Nope ,he wasnt at meikles.all hotels wr full wth prime ministers n presidents of other countries,for our independence.cde tekere n job kadengu decided to put them up at a house in Arcadia,bcoz most of his group wr colourds.bt eventualy they moved into Jameson Hotel.bob always wth his big rolled up cigar.when prime minister mugabe I vited him n friends at state house,he never put it out,making Tekere uncomfortable.he played a song on piano for prime minister mugabe.

viola gwena - 11 February 2016

Now yu gt my attention viola.bob marley?the man is a legend.lucky yu

diva - 11 February 2016

Tete so yu made love wth bob marley?kkkkk.yu did yu .

gire - 11 February 2016

No idid not,gire.he wanted to bt I didnt.bt he was very skeptical of cde tekere.yu see bob was always surrou ded by whites frm England he came wth for the show,so tekere became uneasy.it was 1980.

viola gwena - 11 February 2016

@ fake Viola Is this Viola or some imposter, because that story told above does not sound real

I envy you for having met the legendary Robert Nesta, but in one of his lyrics he sang " how long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look". In his time that was the case, but now its something else. Lucky Dube took it up and said " little did he know (Bob) that, the enermy will stand aside and look. While we slaughter our own brothers" The mind comes back to the likes of Guzha, Dzamara, the Ndebele in the 80s, the Tutsis in Rwanda, xenophobia in SA. The list is endless, what do you think, Viola, if Bob was alive today he would say to you about your boss. Think of the Acadia you hosted him back then, what is it today. Would you take him there? Rufaro stadium of 1980, don't you shed tears when you pass through that place today

Ziggy Zigawo - 12 February 2016

You mentioned Edgar Tekere, was a great man that one. He was the stumbling block to ZANU PF's dream of 1 party state, had it not been for him their would have been no MDC, no electioneering, no factionalism bcoz Mugabe would have been declared life President officially. Now we know he is but its unofficial, hence the shame of elections time and again. That's the reason why the man they called Twoboy, who led Mugabe out of the country to Moza is hated so much.

Viola Gwena, can you enlighten us with the "coloureds" in the Wailers band. I don't remember a single "coloured" in that line-up apart from Bob Marley himself. The lightest in complexion in that group was Marcia Griffiths and she is not even mixed race.

Vivid mixer - 15 February 2016

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